Shameless to get permanent set

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,1925368,00.html


If they can keep the standard up - this is brilliant news as Shameless is set to get it's own permanent set which will enable the production of twice as many episodes a series from 2008.


Series 4 will air from January and will see the focus begin to move away from the Gallagher family towards the Maquires. C4 have commissioned a further 16 part fifth series which begins filming in April.


The move is part of an effort from C4 to shift from it's reliance on increasingly expensive US dramas to longer running original drama series.

This can only be good news. Looks like Shameless will be with us for a while yet.

On the one hand, I am delighted Shameless is returning for at least two longer runs... but at the same time, why do I feel that it's setting itself up for jumping the shark by shifting its main focus away from the Gallaghers?

I am slightly worried about that.